Microsoft on Monday unveiled a tablet computer called "Surface" that is intended to challenge Apple's iPad, New York Times reported. The tablet is about the same weight and thickness as an iPad, with a 10.6-inch screen. The device has a built-in "kickstand" that allows it to be propped up for watching movies, and a thin detachable cover that will serve double duty as a keyboard.
The Surface tablet runs a variation of Windows 8, a version of Microsoft's flagship operating system that is due out in the fall. Steven A. Ballmer, Microsoft's chief executive, said a professional version of the tablet would come with an Intel processor, and would be similar in price to ultrabooks, thin laptops that often start at around US$1,000.